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freaks is a must see movie. it has everything a movie should have and a bit beyond that. that was the gimmick and that's what it delivered. a horror story with true sideshow "horrors".
the story is fairly simple: revenge for being mistreated and humiliated. a true love that's broken apart by a scheming tramp (and her real lover) to get at the wealth of another. the twist is of course that it pits circus "freaks" against "normal" people.
there are a number of things which are not what you'd expect. firstly and most importantly, the "freaks" are not sidekick or second tier bit players...they are the leading actors. the two dwarfs that play two of the main parts deliver their lines in the slow and difficult waveringly high pitched speech that is typical of their condition. there are a number of other "oddities" that are shown for their particular skills as circus performers. while its been called exploitative, this film at least to me captures them for who they are and what they performed. it gives them and their skills a loving place within a script where they aren't really needed but then again the film doesn't go out of its way to shock you...simply show you. it accomplishes this primarily by another unexpected aspect. there is almost no filming inside the tent/ring. what there is shown of this is a handful of brief glimpses at best. the entirety of the film focuses on the behind the scenes. hince, it shows these people as people going about their lives, for all intents and purposes, like everyone else in the business. they have special skills which are admired but not laughed at and not shown as appalling. lastly of course is the shocking ending, in which the "freaks" take their revenge as a collective for the wrongs done to one of them. this is a horror movie and while it does inevitably make some mistakes in representing these people, it does it in the spirit of the story.
to me at least, i distinguish the difference between the respect for the real people and the need for the story. of course when the film was made it ran into all kinds of problems. the director knew it would and clearly believed it was still meaningful. he barely got the film made, stepped into "talkies" which he isn't known for to present these people. when it was done and shown, audiences where appalled, critics hated it, and almost no one appreciated it. it wasn't until the 60's, 30 years after its release, that it began to be seen again. we can be thankful that the film survived. i can imagine this being destroyed for how poorly it was received initially. by the 60's counterculture was desired and this film fit into that mode of thinking. to this day, however, the film has a questionable presence. people remain unsure if it is exploitative or admirable. in the end, its a movie and for that its a grand one. beautiful black and white filming of beautiful, if somewhat unusual, people (the 'normal' people are some beautiful people as well), and a great story well told.
the dvd has alternative endings and a documentary on the film. the alternative endings part is disappointing. some historian describe the original ending for way too long and then they play the same ending thats in the 'restored' movie (the movie in the dvd). whats troubling about that is what he describes has more to it than whats in the film. and what he describes, if it exists, is never shown. the 'alternative' endings are cuts made to the full ending. apparently over time and situations people reduced the amount shown at the end because it was found to be too disturbing. the reduced 'alternative' endings are simply that. take the ending in the dvd, cut parts out, cut parts of the sound out, then cut more out and thats what you have. so technically the alternative endings are just less than the original. eh. and the documentary, which goes on a bit too long, talks about the individuals and the making of the film. no one from the film is part of this, modern carnies and historians and other 'freaks' are interviewed. take the two 'little people' in the documentary; one was friends with the main actor both of whom worked together in the "wizard of oz" and the other is just another 'little person' actor totally unrelated. its interesting enough to hear more about these people but it does drag on a bit.
the film is what you buy this to see. and its worth every penny and more. this is the kind of movie you can watch again and again and still appreciate and enjoy it. its a masterpiece of cinema and a true oddity.
10/10
